I don't have any chickens, nor do I have the room for them but if we ever moved and had a big enough garden, I'd definately get some.

Questions...
How often do they lay eggs?
Do they lay all year round?
Do they stop laying at a certain age?
How long do they live?
Do you need a cockeral for the hens to lay?
What's the best egg-laying breed?

Sorry if any of these questions sound dumb to you, but I've no idea about chickens!

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I don't know the answers to all of your questions, but I will try to help you.

Chickens usually lay one egg a day however as they get older their egg proiduction does tend to decrease. You do not need a cockeral for your hens to lay eggs, you only need one if you wish to have chicks.

I am sure someone more experienced then myself will be along later to answer the rest of your questions.

__________________

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Usually one a day from around 20 weeks. They lay on a 25 hour cycle so the egg laying gets later every day till they miss a day and then resume laying early in the morning
Unless you supplement with artificial lighting they will stop as the days get shorter. But the hen only has so many eggs inside her from birth and if you do use artificial lighting to make them lay all year they will stop laying that much quicker. Around 300 eggs total lay is average.
From year two they may only lay every other day. Once a year they should be able to go into a moult and change their feathers usually in the Autumn. During the moult they stop laying, or it' best if they do as they need the food to make new feathers rather than eggs, but some just lay regardless.
Cockerels are not needed for egg production.

Try a hybrid, they are designed for egg laying or meat production, but all hens will lay unless they are ill


Get a good book then and read and read till you know what you are doing, check out a vet too for emergencies and be prepared